Dak Prescott signed the largest deal in NFL history in terms of yearly salary ($60 million) on the first day of the 2024 season. He proceeded to go 3-5 before hurting his hamstring and sitting out the rest of the year. The Cowboys then went 7-10 overall and missed the playoffs. It was their first time missing the postseason since 2020, but it’s not like Prescott and company had success during those previous three postseason trips anyway.
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Prescott has gone 76-46 in nine years as Dallas’ QB1. A great regular season record eclipsed or matched by only four other QBs during that span from 2016-2024. However, in the playoffs, Prescott is just 2-5 over that time. That’s the same amount of playoff wins as Blake Bortles, Ryan Tannehill, and Baker Mayfield.
Despite that massive deal he just signed, it does feel like a make-or-break moment for the soon-to-be 32-year-old Prescott in Dallas. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton believes that Prescott has no excuses. While he hasn’t had Hall of Famers like Troy Aikman did in the 1990s, he’s still had some good weapons.
“Dak has had well enough options. When you go back and look at the dynasty. When they went on that 90s run. Troy Aikman had Emmitt Smith. Dak had a successful running game with Pollard as well as Ezekiel Elliott. This was eatin-a-bowl-of-cereal Zeke … He also had Michael Irvin! As we talk about the amenities that was on Dak Prescott’s resort, by way of Dallas … my boy done had some options.”
Prescott has thrown to a couple of truly elite receivers in Dez Bryant and CeeDee Lamb. Besides, Newton believes that Prescott’s Dallas teams have had a lot more defensive stars, including Stephon Gilmore, Trevon Diggs, and Micah Parsons.
Newton feels 2025 is all or nothing for Prescott. Because if it’s not “all”, Newton thinks owner Jerry Jones will sell the farm for a particular prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft class.
“This door is closing. Because if you don’t succeed this year. And I mean this is not even championship or bust. … Dak Prescott, if you do not perform this year, that door is going to close. And in comes.. drumroll please.. Arch Manning. … You go out with an injury this year … Jerry is going to any and everything to spend everything for Arch Manning,” he explained.
Arch Manning is likely going to excel at Texas. If he does, he will be a shoo-in to be the No. 1 pick next year. That means if Jones wants him, he’ll have to move a boatload of first-rounders as well as a few quality veteran players. Prescott could even be part of the deal. If they do get him, though, Manning’s family pedigree and post-secondary schooling in Texas will loom large for Jones and the rest of the Cowboys brass.
